1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the opening of molds used for molding a food product and extracting the food product therefrom, and more particularly, to an apparatus for automatically opening such molds and extracting the food product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of food products are made by using a mold in which food material is placed and then heated. An example of such a food product is a xe2x80x9choney hamxe2x80x9d so named because the ham does have honey in it and it also has the appearance of a beehive. Such a product is typically molded in a two-piece mold, usually made of stainless steel. The mold has a first portion, such as a lid, and a second portion, such as the main portion of the mold or pan. The lid and pan are latched together for the cooking process. First, an emulsion is prepared comprising a combination of different mussels, brines and other materials and then dispensed by weight into, and sealed in, a plastic bag. The plastic bag with the emulsion therein is inserted into the mold. The emulsion is in a semi-liquid stage, with some texture, at this point.
The mold, with the plastic bag and emulsion inserted therein, is hung in a smokehouse where the emulsion is cooked. Once cooked, and removed from the smokehouse, the emulsion is cooled, also referred to as tempered. The mold is subsequently opened and the ham extracted.
This molding process successfully produces a flavorful, cooked food product such as a ham. However, in the extraction process, where the two portions of the mold are separated, the process is very labor intensive and somewhat dangerous. It is necessary for personnel to unlatch the two halves of the mold and attempt to separate them by hand without damaging the food product. This generally requires that the extractor invert the mold and impact it. When the latches are disengaged they may hit the personnel. After this the personnel must try to remove the pan upwardly from the lid. This process has some degree of success, but again, it requires considerable manpower. Also, mishandling of the mold with the food product still in it can result in damage to the food product. Such damage ruins it for sale.
The present invention solves this problem by providing an apparatus which automatically opens the mold, extracts the food product therefrom, normally by gravity. The invention includes mechanical means to engage and pull the lid from the pan should the lid become stuck or lodged in the pan.
The present invention is a mold opening and food product extracting apparatus which is used to automatically unlatch the components of a food product mold and to extract the molded food product from within the mold. Typically, the molds have a first mold portion or lid and a second mold portion or pan which are latched together by spring-loaded latches.
The apparatus of the present invention comprises a conveyor for receiving a latched mold thereon with a food product therein and adapted for moving the mold, and further comprising a delatcher adjacent to the conveyor. The delatcher comprises a mold engagement means for engaging the first portion of the mold, and a mold support for supporting the second mold portion when the first mold portion is engaged by the mold engagement means. The second mold portion is held substantially stationary against the mold support while the first mold portion is moved toward the second mold portion such that the first and second mold portions are unlatched from one another. In the preferred embodiment, the mold engagement means is a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder having a piston with an extended position for engaging the first portion of the mold and a retracted position spaced away from the first portion of the mold. The mold is preferably positioned on the conveyor in an inverted position such that the first mold portion is below the second mold portion. The mold engagement means or cylinder is adapted for contacting the first mold portion from below. The mold support is preferably characterized as a strap positioned above the second mold portion.
In a preferred embodiment, an electric eye is disposed adjacent to the delatcher, and the electric eye projects a light beam therefrom. The mold engagement means is adapted for engaging the first portion of the mold when the mold breaks the light beam as the mold is moved along the conveyor through the delatcher. The electric eye is connected to a control circuit which send a signal actuating the mold engagement means or leaving it unactuated if the signal is not sent.
In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor is a first conveyor, and the apparatus further comprises a second conveyor disposed above at least a portion of the first conveyor, and mold gripping means on the second conveyor for grippingly engaging the second mold portion and moving the second mold portion therealong. The second mold portion is thus raised above, and thereby separated from, the first mold portion. The second conveyor comprises a pair of conveyor belts having facing surfaces thereon which are vertically disposed. This pair of conveyor belts rotates in opposite directions. The mold gripping means may be characterized by a plurality of gripper pads disposed on the surfaces of the conveyor belts, and it is these gripper pads which preferably grip the second mold portion as it is moved by the second conveyor.
The apparatus may further comprise a staging gate adjacent to the first conveyor, wherein the staging gate is selectively actuable between a closed position wherein molds are prevented from moving on the first conveyor and an open position wherein molds are allowed to move on the first conveyor. A microswitch and another electric eye, connected by a control circuit to a cylinder which actuates the staging gate, is positioned adjacent to the delatcher. The electric eye projects a light beam therefrom. The staging gate is actuated to the position thereof when a mold moving along the conveyor contacts the microswitch. The staging gate is closed after a time delay. When a mold breaks this other light beam the function of the microswitch is prevented. In one embodiment, the light beam is projected angularly across the first conveyor such that a point at which the mold first breaks the light beam as it moves along the conveyor is longitudinally spaced from a point at which the mold is no longer breaking the light beam. The light beam is projected at least partially through the delatcher.
The apparatus may also further comprise a delay gate adjacent to the first conveyor and near the entry side of the second conveyor. The delay gate is selectively actuable between a closed position wherein molds which have been delatched in the delatcher are prevented from movement on the first conveyor and an open position wherein molds are allowed to move on the first conveyor toward the second conveyor.
In one embodiment, a microswitch is disposed adjacent to the delay gate such that, as the conveyor moves a mold through the delay gate, the mold contacts the microswitch and, through a control circuit, actuates a cylinder connected to the delay gate. Thus, the delay gate is actuated to a closed position thereof. The microswitch also initiates a time delay in the control circuit, and after the time has run, the delay gate is again actuated to its open position.
In the apparatus thus far described, the first mold portion and the food product are normally separated from the second mold portion by gravity. However, in the event that the first mold portion does not separate properly from the second mold portion by gravity, the apparatus may additionally comprise a puller device, also called a lid puller, for engaging the first mold portion or lid and pulling the first mold portion downwardly away from the second mold portion. The lid puller comprises a main cylinder adjacent to the first conveyor and actuable between extended and retracted positions thereof, a rod connected to the main cylinder and movable therewith, and a side cylinder attached to the rod and movable therewith when the main cylinder is actuated between the extended and retracted positions thereof. The side cylinder is actuable between engaging and disengaging positions thereof. The lid puller also comprises a clamp attached to the side cylinder and movable therewith such that, when the main cylinder is in the extended position, the side cylinder may be moved to the engaging position such that the clamp is engaged with the first mold portion, after which the main cylinder is moved to the retracted position thereof such that the first mold portion, engaged by the clamp, is pulled away from the second mold portion. In one embodiment, the rod is one of a pair of rods disposed on opposite sides of the first conveyor, and the side cylinder is one of a pair of side cylinders, each side cylinder being attached to an end of one of the rods and having a clamp thereon. Actuation of the lid puller is controlled by actuation of a microswitch adjacent to the second conveyor, and the microswitch is actuated when engaged by a mold moving along the second conveyor.
Along with the lid puller, the apparatus may still further comprise a weight sensing means for sensing when the first mold portion and the food product are properly separated from the second mold portion by gravity. The weight sensing means preferably comprises a pivot gate attached to the first conveyor, said pivot gate being pivotable between the weight sensing position and the non-weight sensing position, and a counterweight attached to the pivot gate and adapted for biasing the pivot gate toward the non-weight sensing position. When pivoted pivot gate engages another microswitch prevents the functioning of the microswitch controlling the lid puller when weight is sensed.
The present invention provides a mold opening apparatus for opening a multi-piece food mold and extracting a food product therefrom. The apparatus saves considerable labor time and personal injury over manual extraction and further provides more consistent extraction of the food product while minimizing mishandling and the resultant damaged product.
Numerous objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is read in conjunction with the drawings illustrating such embodiment.